Page 22 of New Nebraska Home (New Nebraska)

Liz

CAN’T A GIRL GET SOME PEACE?

“W hat happened?” I asked, trying to see over Brock’s shoulder as his entire body shook.

Brock let out a sob and Cal pulled him into his arms. I still couldn’t get around them to see what the hell was happening on my front porch.

“You need to go get dressed,” Cal said, looking over Brock at me. “Now.”

I looked down at the sheet I had wrapped around my body and considered it for a moment. “No, I want to know what’s happening.”

“Please, Liz, go get dressed,” Cal said again.

“No, tell me what’s going on!” I demanded. “This is my home, and I need to know what’s happening.”

Malik pushed past Brock and came inside, pushing me gently back into the house.

“Angel, please. We’ll tell you everything, but you don’t need to see that. You need to go upstairs, get dressed, and call the police.”

“What exactly is happening? Did another vandal hit our home?”

“Something like that, but it’s so much worse than a brick this time. Please, I don’t want you to have to see.” There was a note of something in Malik’s deep voice—remorse maybe, or fear? “Please go upstairs, get dressed, and call the police.”

“And what exactly would you like me to tell them? Something is going on, but no one will tell me what’s happening or let me on my own front porch?” I tried to push past him, but Malik grabbed onto my waist and held me against him.

“Angel, please. I can’t let you go out there. It’s for your own good. You can’t unsee it once you see it. Just tell the police there’s been a murder.”

“A murder?” My blood went cold. My mind went straight to Leif. Was it his body they wouldn’t let me see? Did those fucking wolves attack him at his friend’s house? I was almost positive his friend was human. They’d been here before New Nebraska was formed. They’d stayed on their family’s land. Surely they would’ve kept him safe?

But what did I expect a bunch of humans to do against an entire pack of hate-filled shifters?

“I need to see,” I cried out, trying to get out of Malik’s arms. If it was Leif, I needed to see. Did I do this? Was my sister right? Fae weren’t like other supernaturals. I could have registered him, and we could have left. Did my stubbornness lead to my little brother’s murder? “Leif!?”

“No.” Malik’s arms tightened around me. “It’s not Leif. Trust me.”

I did. But I still had to see. “Just because I had sex with you doesn’t make you, any of you, in charge of me. You don’t decide what I can or cannot handle. You don’t get to be the big bad alpha and order the little human around.” My fingertips tingled as I turned in his arms to face him. “Let me go.”

His arms tightened for a moment. Then he dropped to his sides and took a step back.

I turned and stomped my way to the front door, clutching Cal’s satin sheet to my chest.

“Liz, please, don’t—” Cal started, and I shot him a look that made his mouth snap closed. Brock was still in his arms, his shoulders shaking with sobs.

I moved past them and saw the blue tarp wrapping around a large shape, thick, dark blood leaking over the side. My breath caught in my throat as I pulled back the tarp and saw a mess of long, tangled red curls and a very adult, very female body.

Relief flooded my body, and then, right after, guilt.

I swallowed back the vomit several times until I saw the message carved into her abdomen.

The scream ripped itself from my throat. I couldn’t hear it, but I felt the burn of it on my voice box. My knees went weak. Malik caught me just before I fell and led me inside. I didn’t fight him. I didn’t even really feel him touching me. There was nothing I could do but see the threat that had been seared into my eyelids.

We will clean the earth of these abominations.

These people weren’t just a hate group that did some petty vandalism and made a lot of noise. They were murderers, and they were coming for my brother.

I didn’t know how long I had sat there. Not until Malik ran his fingers over my cheek and pulled me from my stupor did I even blink.

My eyes burned. They were so dry as I looked up into his concerned face.

“Angel, the police are on their way. Let’s get you upstairs and dressed. Yeah?”

I nodded, but I couldn’t get my legs to move. Malik grabbed my arm and helped me up. He swept me into his arms when I didn’t start walking. It wasn’t until my head was resting on his shoulder and he was carrying me into my room that the tears began.

How was I supposed to protect Leif? Why did things get so much worse every time they were supposed to get better? When was this constant shit show going to end? Or was this the punishment for being selfish and indulging in my own needs for a single afternoon?

Malik set me on the bed carefully, then looked around his hand, rubbing the back of his neck. I moved to the ensuite and started the shower. Who knew what kinds of supernatural creatures were working at the police office? I already knew one vampire was a raging misogynist. There was no way I would let the smell of the three men on my skin detract from that girl getting justice.

“I’ll wait downstairs—”

“Please don’t leave.” I didn’t mean to say that out loud, but I wouldn’t take it back. I meant it.

He looked at me and nodded as I dropped the towel and stepped into the shower, letting the scalding water wash away any evidence of the three men on my skin, and I hoped it took away my guilt for being relieved it was Amelia’s corpse on my porch and not my brother.

My shower was quick but efficient, and when I stepped out, Malik was sitting on my bed, looking through my Kindle.

“You certainly have a lot of dragon shifter romance books,” he said with a slight smile on the corner of his lips.

“Well, when you know what you like.” I shrugged and let the towel fall to my feet, too numb to care where it landed.

“Is that what you like?” he asked, pretending to be offended. “Are you fetishizing me?”

A small huff of laugher passed through my lips. It was all I could manage, but he had cracked through the coldness that had seeped into my entire body. “Only a little,” I winked.

I grabbed a pair of sweatpants and an oversized long-sleeved shirt. It was hot and muggy outside, but I was freezing. I dressed while Malik pretended to look at my Kindle instead of watching me.

I wanted to say something, anything, but as I opened my mouth, the room was filled with red and blue flashing lights. One peek outside told me several cop cars had pulled up.

“Don’t worry, angel, we’ll get through this. Anything you need, you just ask. Is that understood?”

I nodded.

And he held my hand as we went downstairs.

The first cop I saw was the vampire from the other morning. His eyes ran up and down my body, his lips turned down in a frown.

“Well, well. I told you this was going to happen to you,” he said, disdain dripping from his words.

“You said my brother’s tutor was going to be murdered, violated, and dumped on my porch?” I asked, not bothering with the sweet, dumb girl routine. I just didn’t have the energy to give him the little song and dance he wanted.

“No, I said, nothing good is going to come from you living like a slut with a bunch of godless sinners. Her death is on your hands.”

I stared at him in disbelief as Brock held Cal back, and Malik moved to put himself between me and the officer.

“I want your supervisor,” Brock said, holding Cal back on the porch.

“No one gives a fuck what you freaks want,” he scoffed as a more petite girl, one with long pointed ears and a tinge of pink in her skin, carrying a gurney, moved around him to the porch.

“I haven’t gotten all the crime scene pictures yet, Olive,” the officer snapped.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Detective Cockburn. I thought you’d moved to questioning the witnesses. Let me get out of your way so you can do your job.” Her words were sugary and sweet, but had just enough edge to convey her meaning.

“It’s Corkburn,” he growled, returning to the body to take photos.

The girl with the pinkish skin walked up to me and handed me a card. “The detective’s boss. She’s an elemental, but her husband is a Fae…” I think I understood what she was trying to say.

“Olive,” Detective Corkburn snapped. “Get over here now.”

She looked back at him and then back at me, murmuring, “You’re not alone here, but that doesn’t mean you’re safe either, I’m afraid.”